LIVERPOOL stayed on track for another big day out at Wembley as they hit Brighton for six – but the sorry Seagulls gave them a helping hand by scoring THREE own goals.

LIVERPOOL stayed on track for another big day out at Wembley as they hit Brighton for six – but the sorry Seagulls gave them a helping hand by scoring THREE own goals.

Blundering Liam Bridcutt suffered the indignity of putting through his own net twice but Lewis Dunk’s comical error was even more embarrassing.

The stopper tried to juggle the ball in the six-yard box but only succeeded in sending it towards his own goal. He made a desperate lunge to stop the ball from going over the line but to no avail.

Martin Skrtel, Andy Carrol and Luis Suarez were also on target as a Liverpool side inspired by skipper Steven Gerrard warmed up in style for next week’s Carling Cup Final.

But Brighton boss Gus Poyet admitted they had it easy against defenders who relished shooting themselves in the foot.

He said: “Three or four of the goals were comic. There were a few funny ones.

“You know you’re going to have to defend at a place like Anfield but we scored three own goals. I don’t remember the last time that happened. I haven’t spoken to the players about it. There were so many individual mistakes it would take all day.

“We were naive – but welcome to the world of the Premiership. People think we are ready for promotion but we are not. If you want to get to the top flight one day you need to learn.”

Poyet was a staunch supporter of fellow Uruguayan Suarez during the Liverpool’s striker’s recent racism storm.

But the Anfield ace didn’t go easy on him and completed the rout by heading home goal No.6 late on.

Suarez should have been celebrating a double but Peter Brezovan saved his weak penalty with the score at 5-1.

Boss Kenny Dalglish told his hitman to take the spot-kick in a bid to boost his confidence after a hard couple of weeks.

But he joked: “That was a bad decision. Three others – Andy Carroll, Charlie Adam and Dirk Kuyt – wanted to take it as well. Maybe if we hadn’t been so far ahead then one of them would have stepped up to hit it.

“I wanted to give Luis a leg up with his confidence. In the end, he didn’t need my help.”

Suarez’s header capped a miserable second half for Poyet but he was THRILLED to see it end up in the net.

When asked if he was pleased with Suarez’s goal, the Brighton boss said: “Yes. Especially after the penalty. It wasn’t a matter of conceding one more. Luis needed it. It was important for him to score.”

Brighton were far from outclassed in the first half and Kazenga LuaLua’s 25-yarder cancelled out Skrtel’s early header from a Gerrard corner.But Birdcutt’s first own goal sent them in 2-1 down at the break. Sam Vokes tried to hack Glen Jonhson’s header off the line but it rebounded off his unlucky team-mate and rolled into the net.

After the interval Brighton just couldn’t cope with the pace and power of Gerrard, Carroll and Suarez who had started a match together for the first time.

Man-of-the-Match Carroll swept home Stewart Downing’s cross with a sweet finish in 57 minutes to make it 3-1.

Things got even worse for the toiling Championship side when Gerrard played a key role in Liverpool’s fourth.

His shot was saved by Brezovan but the midfielder kept his cool to gather near the byeline on the left and fire at goal.

Birdcutt had raced back on to the line in a bid to block but found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time again as the ball crashed off him and into the net.

Team-mate Dunk then stole the spotlight with one of the best own goals you will see this season.

And Brighton seemed set for more misery when sub Craig Noone brought down Kuyt to concede a penalty.

Suarez’s weak effort lacked conviction though and was easily saved by Brezovan.

But the striker wasn’t to be denied and nodded home from close range after Carroll had headed Luis Enrique’s cross back across goal.

It was such a good day for Liverpool that Jamie Carragher could even have a joke with the male streaker who ran on in stoppage time. The trophy cupboard has been bare at Anfield for six seasons but Dalglish’s side could now be on for a cup double.

The Reds face Stoke at Anfield in the quarter-finals and Dalglish insists his side will take some stopping if Gerrard, Carroll and Suarez slip into top gear.

He said: “The three of them are fantastic footballers and they played really well.

“The more any team gets iconic players like them on the pitch the better chance they have of being successful.

“But we have more than three players at Liverpool. That was the first time the three of them have started a match so it tells you how well the other boys have done. We will stand and be counted as a squad.”